Pagers and small portable radios which are carried virtually continuously are subject to many hazards that endanger the continuous and reliable use thereof. Many people that use pagers and small portable radios have jobs that require them to be outside in all types of weather, for example policemen and deliverymen, and, because the pagers and portable radios are constantly carried and used many times each day, they are subject to being dropped, bumped, etc. While the housings of these devices provide some protection against normal use, the protection is minimal against rain, high humidity environments, chemical fumes, shock, vibration and the like. Shock, vibration, water and chemical damage account for approximately 75% of the failures in pagers, small portable radios, and the like.
The major attempts to cure this problem have been limited to including material inside the case, e.g. foam rubber, to absorb shock and to making the housing water proof. The problems with these solutions are that the foam rubber can turn hard and useless without the operator noticing, since it is internal, and the moisture proof seal of the housing can be ruptured by shock or vibration without the operator being aware of the rupture. Some attempts have been made at providing a cover but these covers generally do not protect against all of the potential hazards, including moisture and shock.